Advantages And Disadvantages of Excimer Laser Wearing contact lenses and glasses can sometimes be an exhausting thing to do. And if you are someone who has been wearing them since your childhood, you are probably sick of wearing them. Many people who aren’t comfortable with wearing these are searching for surgeries to reduce the need of wearing glasses. There is one technique that is done by a laser that can help them achieve this. It is called excimer laser surgery. It is a safe and highly successful operation that is used by many doctors around the world. It also has many advantages. This surgery has been performed all around the world for almost 20 years. It is a very popular treatment.
Excimer laser is a UV laser that is mostly used in eye surgery. Excimer is the shortened version of “excited dimer”. This laser consist of an inert gas and a reactive gas. This surgery is a solution to cure hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness), and astigmatism.
During this surgery, surgeons give the cornea a new shape with a laser. This surgery aims to reduce the use of glasses and contact lenses, decrease the need of using them. Vision defects are fixed with this surgery. Lasik method is the most used one among the methods. In this method, the doctor makes an incision on the layer which is above the cornea. And then, he/she lifts that part. Then the doctor fixes the vision defects by using an excimer laser. With that laser, the surgery is done easily, without an injection or a stitch.
Who Could Be A Candidate For The Surgeries Done With Excimer Laser?
People who are over 18 and who are using glasses or contact lenses can undergo excimer laser surgery. Pregnant women cannot be a candidate for this surgery. People who are between 18 to 60 are usually great candidates for the operation done with an excimer laser. People whose eye numbers have not changed more than 0.50 diopter in the last year can undergo the surgery. It applies to those who are myopic up to -10.0 diopter, those who have hypermetropia up to +4.0.
It also applies to people who have astigmatism up to -6.0. It can be performed on people whose corneas thick enough to be operated on. It cannot be performed on people who have systematic diseases like diabetes, rheumatism. This laser also cannot be used on people who have diseases related to the eyes, like keratoconus and cataract glaucoma.
Of course, a person should not make a decision only by himself/herself. He/she should consult an ophthalmologist. After a thorough examination, the doctor is the one who’s going to decide whether that person is suitable or not. There are so many things that doctors need to take into account when they are making a decision. Every person is different and has different medical histories. For excimer laser treatment to be successful, the transparent layer which is also called cornea must have a decent structure. Its thickness must be sufficient enough, the eye pressure must be at normal levels. There shouldn’t be any inflammation in the eye. Women who are breastfeeding cannot undergo the surgery.
Steps of Excimer Laser Treatment (Before and After)
A patient can eat on the day of the surgery. There are no limitations on that matter. If there are medications that a patient uses every day, the patient should tell the doctor about it. Scented things like perfumes should not be used before the surgery. The patient should not put on make-up on the day of operation. At the beginning of the operation, doctors will anesthetize the patient. And then they will clear the area with some solutions to make it sterile for the surgery. Lastly, doctors will perform the surgery with the excimer laser. The surgery is completed in a short time. It is easy to perform and most patients feel very comfortable.
After the surgery, the patient should not touch his/her eyes, because it can cause pain. Patient should not do activities that will tire his/her eyes. And it is advised by doctors to not wash the face right after the surgery. Patients should not put on any make-up for a week. When showering, the patient needs to be careful, if shampoo leaks into the eyes, it can have serious outcomes. Watching TV, working on the computer, and reading books are also forbidden for a day or two. It is forbidden because these can tire the eyes. Those are the steps of the surgery and the steps that a patient should follow before and after the surgery. Now let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of excimer laser.
Advantages of Excimer Laser
There are a lot of advantages of excimer laser. It is done very quickly and it is a safe operation. A person has nothing to be afraid of. It fixes hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism. With this operation, the patient will no longer need to use glasses or contact lenses. This is probably the greatest advantage of an excimer laser. Since it is done with anesthesia which is dripped into the eye, the need for general anesthesia is decreased. It is done with a laser, so there is almost no bleeding. Its results are long-lasting. Its success rate is %95 which is a very great rate for surgery. It is an external operation; it does not leave any visible scars. There is no recovery time in surgeries done with excimer laser, you can even drive a day after the surgery.
Disadvantages of Excimer Laser
Thanks to the developing technology, the complications that occur when using excimer laser has been reduced to less than 1%. There are scarcely any disadvantages of excimer laser. Operations in which excimer laser is used are more expensive when compared to others. If it is not done properly it could lead to glare and night vision problems. And there is no guarantee that the surgery will be %100 successful. For example, you may have had surgery with an excimer laser, this doesn’t guarantee that your eye defects will disappear. And just like every other surgery, there are some surgical risks.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Excimer Laser Treatment
As you make the decision to get rid of your everyday glasses, it is important to weigh both the advantages and disadvantages of excimer laser treatment. Laser eye surgery is a complex and delicate procedure. A surgeon cuts a circular flap on the surface of the cornea to remove the excess tissue there that contributes to the deterioration of your vision. Hundreds of thousands of people get viligo excimer laser treatment every year.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of excimer laser treatment. On the plus side, it helps people who struggle to wear glasses and contact lenses by negating them completely. Contact lenses often have the risk of completely drying your eyes, which can lead to infection, and irritation. By getting laser eye surgery, you can overcome the problems associated with it if you are experiencing any. On the other hand, you need to consider how your health can affect the outcome. One of the side effects of eye surgery is the reduction of tear and fluid production in the first six months. Some patients with a more extensive medical history report unusual sensitivity to bright light in the first two weeks after the excimer laser treatment. Finished results may vary depending on your unique case. Therefore, schedule a meeting before the surgery to ensure that you have the best experience possible.
